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It seems that 2018 will be the worst year for Lyme disease in recent history. There are various theories as to why this is happening, but the most common is climate change.

As the weather is warming, the tick population which is normally reduced or regulated due to severe weather conditions- which includes normal winter temperatures- is no longer the case. This past winter was a mild one, and it gave the tick population ample time to replicate.

The CDC has estimated that 300,000 Americans are infected with Lyme disease each year. A massive increase from the 20,000 cases we believed were present in the early 1990’s. These estimates do not include the 60,000 cases contracted in Europe, where there are different forms of Lyme disease, but all in the same family.

The problem with ticks is that they not only carry Lyme disease, they carry a significant number of pathogens as well. These include;

• Ehrlichiosis– a bacterial disease also transmitted by the lone star tick. Symptoms may include fever, headache, fatigue and muscle aches.

• Babesiosis– a malaria like disease typically spread by the deer tick in its nymph stage, which can cause severe fatigue and some cases may require hospitalization.

• Anaplasmosis– a bacterial disease which is primarily transmitted from the black-legged tick and the western black-legged tick. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, chills and muscle aches.

• Powassin– a virus which can be transmitted within 15 minutes and can cause severe encephalitis that may lead to death.

•Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever– a bacterial disease which usually causes fever, headache, a rash (as seen in the pic below) and can also be deadly if not treated early with the right antibiotic.

Meat Allergy?

There is also a new condition associated with a specific compound called Alpha-gal, which creates a strange allergy to red meat induced by tick bites.

Alpha-gal is a sugar molecule carried by the Lone Star Tick. When it bites a human, it activates the immune system which starts producing this Alpha-gal antibody. The body then becomes wired to fight this specific molecule which is also present in red meat. Eating meat can then trigger an allergic reaction.

Lyme disease uncovered

Lyme was first discovered by Doctor Allen Caruthers Steere. He found there to be a cluster of very significant symptoms among children visiting pediatricians in Old Lyme, Connecticut.

When the initial condition was diagnosed, it was thought to be a form of Rheumatoid Arthritis since most of the symptoms are related to joint pain.

That was later proved not to be the case, since Lyme also causes numerous other symptoms such as;

• Neurological problems

• Memory loss

• Fatigue

• Back pain

• Arrhythmia’s

• Radiculopathy

It was later determined that these symptoms were related to a spirochete that is attributed to the Deer Tick (pictured below).

The spirochete is a very tricky pathogen because once it is in the blood, it disguises itself by layering on a very specific coating (like a cloaking device), and releases specific fragments which confuse the immune system into attacking something other than itself.

Spirochetes have a corkscrew shape which allows them to literally drill through tissue and get to their target in a more direct fashion.

Typically, the Lyme spirochete is transmitted -through regurgitation- after the Deer Tick has been attached to your skin for 36-48 hours (but that can vary quite a bit). As the tick gets its fill, it regurgitates some of the victim’s blood. It is the actual mixture of blood with saliva, that passes the Lyme disease back to the patient.

Approximately 25-50% of those who have been exposed to Lyme, do not get the typical bullseye rash as seen in the pic below.

The bullseye rash identifies the area where the tick was most likely adhered to the skin. The ring that is moving outside of that tick bite is the bacteria spreading through the skin which ultimately finds its way into blood vessels and circulates through the body, where it begins it’s next pathogenic phase.

Usually Lyme is completely curable, if it is caught within the first few weeks. The problem occurs once the disease disseminates which can result in many disabling symptoms, including permanent impairment- particularly those associated with nerve pain-, radiculopathy and arthritis.

How ticks look

It is important to know the basic appearance of a tick during its different stages of life.

During the larvae stage the ticks generally have 6 legs. Their color is not as distinctive nor are their markings, and they have even been mistaken for a fleck of dust or dirt. Early in the spring/summer, the ticks mature from their larvae stage, into their nymph stage where they can easily fit into the head of a pin. Adult ticks have 8 legs and are more recognizable.

Deer ticks have a very interesting life cycle, which can last up to 3 years. At each stage of their lives, ticks feed on a particular host such as a mouse, then a deer or dog and lastly a human. Once a human develops Lyme, they are the last stage of infection in this particular lifecycle. After the female gets a blood meal, they can lay anywhere from a few thousand up to 18,000 eggs.

Ticks can crawl into any crevice of your body from your eyelids to your derriere. Therefore, it is critical to be aggressive in prevention. A few things you can do are

• Avoid areas where ticks are present such as lawns, areas where tall grasses might grow and certainly wooded areas

• Wear light colored clothing (which makes ticks more noticeable)

• Use a tick repelling pesticide (such as Deet) on areas of exposed skin

• Use Permethrin (a natural chrysanthemum derived tick repelling pesticide) on your clothes. There are clothing sold which have this pesticide embedded in it’s material. Tests have shown these do reduce mobility of ticks and therefore should reduce the chances of them finding a safe space to bite.

Ticks can swim and it is very difficult for them to drown, therefore submerging them in water won’t kill them. They can survive when it rains, in the shower or if you are swimming in a pool. They are able to do so by putting a protective bubble of air around their body, which keeps them alive under water for several days if necessary.

Ticks don’t just bite, they embed themselves into your skin.

As the tick starts getting its fill, it inserts a barbed like tube into the skin of its victim, which secures their bodies in place. Next, the tick secretes a small amount of glue to keep itself attached to the skin. Oftentimes tick bites go unnoticed not only due to the small size of the tick, but also because its saliva contains a painkiller which numbs the area.

Once a tick has been found, it is critical to carefully extract it- which includes the entire mouth -with it’s biting parts-, tube and legs. There is only one way to properly remove a tick. Methods such as alcohol, nail polish, ice or heat from a match, which will only force the tick to further burrow itself further into the skin.

A tick must be removed with a tweezer. This can be done by following the steps listed below.

To Prepare:

• Remain Calm- The extraction process is very detailed, and you want to ensure that it is being performed properly.

• Identify the angle at which the tick has entered the skin- This is important because you will need to pull in the opposite direction

• Proper Tweezers and a Magnifying Glass- These are the tools needed for the extraction.

To Extract:

• Place the tweezers as close to the skin and the head of the tick as possible

• Apply a small amount of pressure on the tick- so there is a tethering of the skin- until the tick’s jaws release from the victim

• Gently pull straight out. Do not twist or jerk the tick. Failure to do so could result in breaking a part of the tick’s body into the skin, and the resulted release of inadvertent Lyme spirochetes.

Once you remove a tick it should be carefully discarded, by being flushed down the toilet. If a part of the tick remains in the skin, apply alcohol to the area and attempt to remove the remnants with the tweezers. Usually if the tick is in less than 24-48 hours, the piece that is in the skin does not contain the Lyme spirochete.

Think you might have Lyme?

The diagnosis of Lyme disease is usually determined through physical signs and symptoms, as well as laboratory or blood testing. The first most important determinant is whether or not someone has been exposed to a tick bite. The second would be significant symptoms which are relatable to the tick bite, or signs including the typical bullseye.

The most commonly performed tests are the Western blot and the Elisa. Both are used to detect whether or not Borrelia Burgdorfi (through the actual antibody of the organism) is present. There are several tests which are available, although they do not generally turn positive until several weeks after the initial exposure. If your tests results come back negative, but you have symptoms consistent with Lyme, and have been in an area where Lyme is present, you should consult a specialist immediately who is familiar with Lyme.

Reports of actual transmission from human to human appear to be rare or non-existent. However, spirochete DNA has been found in semen and breast milk, but transmission has never been shown to take place through sexual contact.

Treatment

Once Lymehas been determined, the general rule is to treat for 2 weeks with an antibiotic of choice (generally doxycycline or amoxicillin). I have found the best results when consistently treating with a twice dose of doxycycline for a month. Missing doses of, or consuming alcohol with said antibiotics will result in an ineffective treatment.

Antibiotics are only effective during the period of time when bacteria are replicated. About 10% -20 % of cases treated properly for the month require a repeat treatment.

We generally don’t treat children under the age of 8 with doxycycline, because it can interfere with tooth & bone formation. However, depending on the severity/degree of symptoms (ex: high risk of Lyme exposure or if a bullseye rash is present) doctors may decide to treat with the appropriate antibiotics. Treatments are determined on a case to case basis, so it is important to follow the guidelines set forth by your physician.

Symptoms of Lyme can remain dormant for many years. There are a significant number of people who develop long term chronic symptoms from Lyme. A couple of attributing factors are;

• If the problem wasn’t completely treated

• If exposure is unnoticed and left untreated.

In cases of Chronic Lyme, many patients have found relief with the use of supportive medications, supplements, vitamin infusions, hyperbaric oxygen and acupuncture to name a few. Each of these treatments need to be combined with careful testing, to ensure that the disease has been effectively eliminated.

As a physician, one of the greatest senses of accomplishments comes from our patient’s success. It is a collaboration that takes hard work on both the part of the physician and of the patient. Judy was one such patient.

Judy and Her Rocky Road to Recovery….

Over the past 16 years, Judy had seen numerous specialists whom collectively, represented hundreds of years of medical experience. Yet they could not figure out what the causes of her underlying medical conditions were. In truth, they were looking in the wrong direction. She presented with numerous chronic symptoms which had worsened or progressed.

Longevity is defined by the obstacles we must face as our bodies age. For men, one such obstacle is prostate cancer. It is estimated that one in five men will develop a tumor in their prostate. Second to skin cancer, it is the most common form of cancer in men. In cases with an early diagnosis, it may be a source of morbidity leading to impotence and other urologic complications.

In a recent post, I discussed the role of specific toxins and how they cause cancer. This was yet another emerging body of evidence, in regards to how cancer may die with prevention; particularly with foods and/or supplements.Read More

A new area of research targets molecules which are more prone to cause cancer, and natural ways we can help to prevent this. Recent scientific evidence has shown that specific toxins found in cigarette smoke, plastics, diesel, and ultra-violet radiation create damaging lesions within our DNA. The findings published in Chemical Research in Toxicology, provides new insight and understanding as to how environmental agents affect our DNA repair mechanisms; and why certain toxins are so damaging.

The answer at least partly, is due to certain chemicals which contain large difficult to remove molecules, that stick to our DNA. Examples of these chemicals are those found in automobile exhaust and cigarette smoke ((also known as PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons)) which possess the capability to attach to our DNA. Due to the size of their molecules, our bodies struggle to remove said compounds; unlike those of a smaller size which are easily removed.

Most individuals possess a specific repair mechanism-equivalent to a scissor- called NER (Nucleotide Excision Repair). NER is what allows our body to cut out/remove damaged DNA, and replace it with a new copied set of DNA fragments; without the damage or injuries caused by toxins. Conversely, there are some individual who lack the ability of creating such a repair.

One of the advantages of preventive DNA testing, is to understand which patients are at risk for certain cancers; along with which natural compounds are best suited to mitigate this problem. For example, in prostate related cancer it may be tomatoes; which contain both vitamin a and lycopene.

This is one of the various reasons why I incorporate DNA based testing and treatments for most of my patients. It is also the reason I recommend using specific antioxidants, which not only help with DNA repair; but can also halt the subsequent steps once cancer has been initiated.

The good news is, that with time, our bodies remove many of the compounds that damage our immune system at a genetic level. Understanding and determining which healthy compounds work best for individual patients, is where Precision Based Medicine distinguishes itself from traditional medicine; and allows us to provide tailored treatment to each individual patient

As an Integrative physician with over 25 years of experience, it’s hard to understand how the current opioid epidemic got started. Like other medically induced epidemics (Premarin which led to a serious uptick in great cancer) incentives got ahead of the science. The difficult truth is that there are situations when pain medicines are needed.

There are also many situations where these often casually prescribed narcotic medicines, could have been substituted with other more holistic approaches such as acupuncture or even meditation.

That’s why the FDA recently recommended doctors prescribe acupuncture -because it works. Not for everyone. But when it works it’s a life saver. And the science to back it up is getting better as well.

Here is the deal, the Opioid epidemic in our country has reached a critical level, and garnered the attention of the media, the government, and the American people. Research from The National Institute on Drug Abuse, has shown an alarming increase in drug overdoses, rising from 4,000 American Deaths in 1999 to over 52,000 American Deaths as recently as 2015.

Two-thirds of these overdoses stem from opioids, resulting in numerous states declaring a medical emergency to combat the epidemic. These overdoses are believed to be attributed to the rapid increase of prescription narcotics, which has quadrupled since the early 1990’s. The CDC has since announced that urgent and critical action needs to be taken.

Numerous studies have shown that Acupuncture works as a highly effective treatment method for chronic pain in a plethora of ways understood by those who use traditional medicine. In comparison to traditional pain management treatment; which work on a specific receptor in the brain, acupuncture has been shown to release endorphins, increases immune response, and increases blood flow.

Originating in China, acupuncture is one of the oldest continually practiced forms of medicine. In Chinese Medicine energy is also known as Qi (chee). It is believed that blockages in our energy pathways lead to an imbalance in the way that energy flows through our nerves, muscles, tendons and blood vessels. When Qi is blocked, it results in our bodies experiencing a sensation of pain.

To alleviate pain, Acupuncture needles are placed in strategic pressure points- known as meridians- on the body, acting as a bridge/detour around the areas of pain density/blocked energy. This is believed to result in a normal flow of “energy” being released throughout the body and a reduction of symptoms

With my 25 years of experience as an Integrative Physician, I have found that while Acupuncture is not designed to treat every painful medical condition; it does serves to mitigate numerous painful conditions, as well as a host of others. As a Certified Acupuncturist, I use Acupuncture as treatment for many ailments including Chronic Pain, Adrenal Fatigue, Chronic Sinus Pain, Asthma, Sciatica, Migraines, Headaches, Insomnia, PMS, Menopausal Symptoms and Pain due to Acute and Chronic Injuries. It has proven to be one of the most effective therapeutic options that I have in my medical arsenal.

There are very few adverse effects and patients can resume normal activities right after receiving treatment. Generally, I recommend that acupuncture is used as an initial or adjunctive form of treatment, for anyone that has been prescribed a mild pain medication. These results have a significant effect on the way my future treatments are administered for each patient.

In some cases, I’ve found that Acupuncture is not the only form of treatment that I use. When a patient needs additional treatment, I recommend other natural modalities such as cold laser, ultrasound, osteopathic manipulation treatments and physical therapy. Occasionally, certain analgesics are used before considering a narcotic medication.

There is something truly exciting on the horizon as well. PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) is a ground-breaking new treatment for damaged joints and ligaments, that has also proven to be one of the most effective, and promising treatments methods for pain management. I will discuss PRP Therapy and its many advantages in greater detail in a future blog, where I will also explain how to Naturally Reduce Chronic Pain and Inflammation.

A critical area of concern in the field of Anti-Aging Medicine is the prevention of Dementia, specifically Alzheimer’s disease. I have seen this medical condition wreak havoc on individuals and families. There has been little hope for prevention until now.

A new study shows that the death rate from Alzheimer’s has risen 55% in the last 15 years. This dramatic change also appears to be a significant new risk for increasing mortality rates. Globally, there are more than 50 million people affected by Alzheimer’s, and that is estimated to increase to 125 million by 2050.

Alzheimer’s mainly affects people over the age of 65 (some research suggests symptoms can occur as early as the early 40’s) and the most common symptom and effect is chronic disabling memory loss. Other common symptoms/conditions associated with the disease are impaired language, difficulty in concentrating/ decision making, confusion and ultimately disorientation. It’s both emotionally and physically draining not only to the individuals, but their families as well. Read More

I often recommend exercise to my patients. Determining the type of exercise and duration depends on the individual. We all know that exercise has been linked to better outcomes in heart disease, certain types of cancer and diabetes.

What we haven’t known are the exact mechanisms as to why. New DNA tests help to quantify the benefits. A new study out of Brigham Young University revealed that if you work out extensively, and are willing to sweat, you may be able to reduce one type of aging that happens inside your cells. Read More

Probiotics-those good little bugs that live inside of your intestines- have recently gotten a lot of attention in the news and rightly so. It seems that gut flora may provides up to 25% of the neurotransmitters our body uses every day for typical day to day functions. These functions include normal mood and balancing out stress. It seems as if these bacteria play an important role in regulating those feelings. This lends credibility to the cliche-that someone has a gut feeling about something.

There is a great deal of controversy around eating times and weight loss. My general preference is to limit most calorie consumption to one meal a day and to fast or go on a calorie restricted meal plan for the rest of the day. This is in line with what current research suggests promotes longevity.

When choosing a diet I incorporate many factors including a patient’s metabolic profile, DNA and family history, cultural preferences and lifestyle. One factor that I consistently recommend against is eating late at night which forces the body to store calories while reducing metabolic function during the day. What I call the Sumo Wrestlers diet, a specific technique used by these portly athletes, which loads carbs late at night forcing their liver to store the meal as fat. Continue reading “Timing of Meals can Affect Weight Gain and Impair Metabolism- by Dr. Richard Firshein”→

Many of my patients wonder whether their daily coffee or tea breaks are actually good for them. New research lends support to the idea that coffee and tea, like many natural remedies and foods packed with antioxidants may actually be good for you.